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Topic: Gene O'neal and Funky Monkey |
Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2016 2:27 pm |
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I remember seeing the late and great Gene O'neal a couple times at St Louis. The song I was always intrigued by was Funky Monkey. Does anyone play that tune now and does anyone know how it was done? Gene played it flawlessly. It is very different and I have never heard anyone else in all the years play it.
Here's a link for you that have never heard it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vroXlv9gXTI
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Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 3 Feb 2016 2:37 pm
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I've fooled with it a number of times. Even played it out but I could never figure out how he got the sound from that tapping technique at the pickup end instead of picking that he opens and ends with.
Great little ditty from a monster player who left us way too soon. |
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Larry Baker
From:
Columbia, Mo. U.S.A.
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Posted 3 Feb 2016 2:59 pm
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Gene was a great player and a Great person as well.
Sometime before that You Tube, Gene played on a album for Jean DeVore, and that lick was also used
on the intro for one of Jean's songs (Midnight Rambler). The album did really well in the U.K.
Gene is very much missed.
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Mullen G2 SD10 3 & 5 The Eagle
NV112 amp===Earnie Ball V.P. |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2016 5:23 pm
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| Jerry Overstreet wrote: |
I've fooled with it a number of times. Even played it out but I could never figure out how he got the sound from that tapping technique at the pickup end instead of picking that he opens and ends with.
Great little ditty from a monster player who left us way too soon. |
I've tried it numerous times. He had to have had a lot of volume to get it up to that level by just tapping on strings plus a lot of finesse to do it. Love that tune, not your everyday steel number, lol.
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Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 3 Feb 2016 6:50 pm
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| Jerry Overstreet wrote: |
| ...but I could never figure out how he got the sound from that tapping technique at the pickup end instead of picking that he opens and ends with. |
I don't think he's "tapping" at all. It sounds more like just picking very close to the bridge (to me, anyway)!  |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 3 Feb 2016 6:52 pm
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| No, I've seen him do it. He's tapping the strings with his finger picks somehow, but I have never been able to duplicate it. |
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Craig A Davidson
From:
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2016 7:25 pm
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| Years ago I saw him in Des Moines Iowa with Clinton Gregory. I asked him if Clinton would let him do the tune and he said probably not. But somewhere in the show Gene was taking a ride and he threw that lick in the ride and just looked up at me and grinned. |
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Larry Baker
From:
Columbia, Mo. U.S.A.
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Posted 3 Feb 2016 7:39 pm
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Definitely tapping, I was in the studio when He was doing Jean's session.
_________________
Mullen G2 SD10 3 & 5 The Eagle
NV112 amp===Earnie Ball V.P. |
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Ron Funk
From:
Ballwin, Missouri
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Posted 3 Feb 2016 8:51 pm Funky Monkey
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Funny (?) how I've always loved that sound.....and like the rest of us mere mortals, never been able to figure that repetitive lick out.
He's playing a Sierra that may have 12 strings.
Unsure what strings he may have had on bottom.
Doesn't look like he's using any Pedals or Knee levers.
The mission continues........... |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 3 Feb 2016 10:10 pm
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| He played it on the C neck of a D10. The tapping thing on the bottom strings. I first saw him in St. Louis sometime in the late 70's or early 80's...I have Monkey on a cassette tape from that show. Also Bread's "If" and a humorous novelty thing or two. |
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Ron Funk
From:
Ballwin, Missouri
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Posted 3 Feb 2016 11:55 pm
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Thanks for that info Jerry.
I also have casserre audio from that same Convention.
Phenomenal player.
(back to the drawing board !! ) |
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J R Rose
From:
Keota, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2016 6:53 am
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Great Post Henry, I was there that year also. Was a good show all the way around. J.R.
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NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 4 Feb 2016 8:36 am
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Had to test that on my extended E Dekley...
Tapping/slapping straight down with the flat face of the first-finger pick on the lowest strings on top of the changer, creates the exact same "slap-sound ... going sharp to round" as he gets in the beginning. Just a millimeter back and forth along the string changes the sound a lot - he really tapped with incredible precision.
No extra amplification needed, just hit the string perfectly right where it leaves the top of the changer/bridge.
That's a slap-effect I have only used on a bass-guitar before, have never thought of getting it on a PSG - until now. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 4 Feb 2016 8:39 am
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| My problem with that technique is muting the other strings. Can't seem to find a way to do that as the tapping action excites all the strings. |
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Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2016 8:44 am
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Jerry, I was messing with it last nite and can almost duplicate the sound by tapping and letting the tip of pick just barely catch the string on the tap and by resting hand on guitar body you can be accurate on hitting string. Would take some practice.
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Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 4 Feb 2016 8:51 am
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| ....ahh..pick blocking? I'm so used to palm blocking, that would definitely take some practice. My guitar is somewhere else, but when I get to it, I'll try that technique. Thanks. |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 4 Feb 2016 9:04 am
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| Not too hard when limiting the tapping to one or two strings - one at a time, and dampening with bar hand. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 4 Feb 2016 9:25 am
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| Hard to mute with the bar hand when you're using the bar on the bottom strings. |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 4 Feb 2016 9:46 am
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| Try using fingers behind the bar to half-mute as bar goes on-off string. Works for me. |
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Redd V
From:
Galax Va
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Posted 5 Feb 2016 6:32 am Wow!
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What a great memory, thanks!
I was fortunate enough to get to play beside Gene,
in Clinton Gregory's great band as well as at
Skulls Rainbow Room in Printers Alley for awhile.
He played passionately & wonderful, EVERY night,
never a not into it night, even at 2:30am
I sure miss his humor too . . .
Redd Volkaert |
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Boo Bernstein
From:
Los Angeles, CA
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Posted 5 Feb 2016 11:35 am
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| Interesting story about Gene: For the last 5 years, I played steel with a very popular Latin artist named Joan Sebastian (who, sadly, passed away last summer). When he was just getting started, he went to Nashville -- he loved country music and thought that as a songwriter, Nashville was the place to be. He apparently had a difficult time breaking into that scene, particularly being a Latino. One night he was at a club on Broadway and met Gene, who was very friendly and accepting of him and was impressed by Joan's writing talents (he was an amazing songwriter and wrote for many other artists over the years). They stayed friendly for many years until Gene's passing. Gene must have been a very special person and I greatly appreciate his kindness to Joan. |
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Chris Templeton
From:
The Green Mountain State
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